After lockdown halted its face-to-face events programme back in March 2020, The Pocklington School Foundation Careers & Business Network took to Zoom recently to hold its first virtual event. With over 20 guests joining the Zoom meeting, Pocklington School Headmaster Toby Seth hosted a Q&A with guest speaker Sarah Gough who was a pupil from 1996 to 2007.

Sarah is now based in Leeds as Associate Director at PR and Public Affairs agency Grayling which has nine offices in the UK. With experience spanning everything from crisis and issues management to creative campaigns, Sarah shared with guests her insights into the industry including the skills employers are looking for, what it takes to be successful and the impact of the rise of digital. She also spoke about the effects of the pandemic on the sector and how Grayling has supported clients through it.

After the main Q&A, Sarah took questions from the audience ranging from how useful her degree course was in preparing her for future careers, to the advantages and disadvantages of using a PR agency versus doing it in-house. 

Sarah said: “It was a pleasure to be invited to speak at the Network event and lovely to see some familiar faces, as well as plenty of new ones. PR wasn’t an industry I knew much about when I left school, so if I'm able to help get even one current pupil thinking about a career in the creative industries, I'd be delighted.”

Toby commented: “Having worked in media planning myself prior to going into education, I was really looking forward to doing the Q&A with Sarah and hearing her take on the industry as it is now. It was particularly interesting to learn about her career journey; it is insights like these that can really inspire and inform our current students when they are making their own life plans beyond school.”

“I am so grateful to Sarah for taking the time to share her experience and expertise with us. It was also great to see a mix of current parents, students, staff and Old Pocklingtonians in the audience.”

The PSF Careers and Business Network is open to everyone in the wider Pocklington School community, including current and former parents, Old Pocklingtonians, current and former staff and supporters. Its aims are to help each other thrive in a highly competitive world and, by working together, to help inspire our students, and each other, for life. Membership of the network is free; to sign up visit the school website at: https://www.pocklingtonschool.com/support-us/careers-and-networking-opportunities.